If I Only Had A Brain!

Happy first Monday in September and that mean a new Product Focus blog hop at Artistic Outpost. Be sure to visit the rest of the design team as they show off their Storybook Themes, which all stamps in that category will be 20% off through September 9th and no code required! The new "Show Us Your AO Art" has just begun, so come on and ink up some AO rubber!

Tracy, Kate, Shari, Lisa

I decided to make a little burlap canvas hanging and applied DecoArt Crackle Paste dyed with two drops of Mustard Seed reinker through a brick stencil. Once dried, I lightly inked over the cracks with Walnut Stain and wiped off the excess. 

The images and sentiment from the Oz Collage were stamped in Black Archival and inked over with Brushed Corduroy and shaded in Walnut Stain and Black Soot, cut or torn. The lighter areas were inked over with Antique Linen. 

Happy Labor Day to all in the US and have a great day to everyone. Thank you for stopping by today! 

The Secret!

The first Monday of the month and that means another Product Focus from Artistic and all stamps in the "Verses and Greetings" category will be 20% off through Saturday, August 8th! This also brings on the new monthly "Show Us Your AO Art," so be sure to join in for a chance to win a $15 store voucher, but of course using those AO stamps! For more fabulous AO inspiration visit Tracy, Shari, Gerrie,

I think the Boardwalk bathing beauties were perfect to place on top of this so true sentiment from "Quotes and Quotables" all stamped in Black Archival and inked in Antique Linen, Pumice Stone and shaded in Vintage Photo and Black Soot.   Layered it up and distressed the edges and added some photo corners.

Now for my background I wanted something vintage and a little feminine, so I inked up the card stock with the inks above and shaded as well. Next I applied DecoArt Crackle Paint (thank you Brenda) using a painted brush over the Prima stencil. Once dried, I reapplied the stencil and inked over it with Vintage Photo. This is a pretty detailed stencil and my first time used the DecoArt Crackle Paint and I was pleased with the results!

Hope you have fun on the Blog Hop and thank you for taking the time to visit! Have a great day!

The Good Old Outdoors!

Welcome to Artistic Outpost's Product Focus Blog Hop for July, "Nature and Outdoors" and all stamps in this category are 20% off through Saturday, July 11 and no promotional code is required. For extra inspiration and great art be sure to visit the rest of the fabulous DT!

Shari, Tracy, Kate, Lisa

Painted tag with a tan colored acrylic paint and did a two step cracked and then sprayed with Tattered Angers Chalk spray in Chocolate.

The desert scene was stamped directly onto the tag with Black Archival. Our AO Cowboy was watercolored using Tattered Rose and Gathered Twigs. Sentiments were stamped also with Black Archival, cut and shaded. The Cactus and Supplies were stamped in Coffee Archival, fussy cut and shaded. Finished off with a little rope, which my husband assured me that Cowboys did not tie that neat or tight of a loop! So there goes my life as a Cowboy! Well you don't have to be a Cowboy to join in the monthly "Show Us Your AO Art" and there is always a store gift certificate to be won, so gather up some AO stamps and get inky!

I so appreciate your visit today as I know with Summer and vacations we are all strapped for time. Have a lovely week!

Road Trip AO Style!

It is time for a Road Trip and another Product Focus at Artistic Outpost from the Masculine collection of stamps and 20% off through Saturday, June 6th. Be sure to visit the rest of the team! Tracy, Gerrie, Kate, Shari, Lisa.

I decided to ink up Route 66 and started with the background, which was inked over with Vintage Photo, Pumice Stone, Vintage Photo and shaded with Walnut Stain and a little Black Soot. Next I masked off the Road Trip to spread over the tag in Black Archival and then clear embossed. The MOTEL was also stamped in Black Archival and colored with Squeezed Lemonade and Mowed Lawn and again clear embossed. The map was stamped randomly in sections with Watering Can Archival. Well I was really liking my background and did not want to cover it all up, so the Shrink Plastic was brought out. I do not stamp shrink plastic with Archival as it does not dry and even with spraying it with sealer, you can have issues. I used Stazon inks in Black and red and colored on the reverse side with markers. I will also use a little foam applicator and Blending Solution to soften colors, even after the baking process.

The little "EAT" scene was backed in glossy card stock and the Route 66 and Gas Pump were painted on the backside to avoid them just getting lost on the background. Had not played with Shrink Plastic in awhile and it was quite fun.

Thank you for joining us for this month's Product Focus and being the start of June the "Show Us Your AO Art" has also begun, so come on and ink up your AO stamps and join in!

Hero!

Here we are at the start of May and that means a new Product Focus at Artistic Outpost and we are being "Patriotic"! I chose stamps from the "Hero" collection and you will just have to visit the rest of the team to see what they came up with right here Kate, Shari, Tracy, Lisa, Gerrie. All stamps is the Patriotic category are also 20% off through May 9th as well!

The flag image was colored with Stampin Up markers Not Quite Navy, Night of Navy, Real Red and Black. After I huffed and puffed to reactivate the inks (and felt dizzy), I stamped the image to white card stock. The background was then inked over in Distress Stormy Sky, Fired Brick and shaded with Vintage Photo and Black Soot in the corners.

I decided to collage images around the flag, which were stamped in Black Archival. The two Hero sentiments were stamped in Black Archival as well and then clear embossed. I stamped a third Hero and cut it apart and shaded around the edges with red and blue!

As this is the beginning of the month, the new "Show Us Your AO Art" has started and we would love to have your AO inky goodness join us! Thank you for visiting me today and have a wonderful week!